Box-filling machine.



1. C. DON'NELLY.

- BOX FILLING MACHINE- APPLICATION FIVLED OCT. 3. l9l6- mmw wm, mum10%.. 4,1917:

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

UdUUUdUUUUUI-IUU J. C. DONNELLY.

BOX FILLING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED ocr. a. l9l6.

Patented Ben 4, WW.

2 $HEETSSHEET 2- MI I I TTNTTEU JOSEPH C. DONNELLY, OF BABBERTON, OHIO,ASSIGNOR TO THE DIAMOND MATCH COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A,CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

BOX-EILLING MACHINE.

Application filed October 3, 1916.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH (J. DONNELLY, a citizen of the United States,and resident of Barber-ton, in the county of Summit and State of Ohio,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Box-FillingMachines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a machine for filling match-box trays withmatches, and particularly to machines of the kind wherein a successionof temporary holders (from which the matches are subsequentlytransferred to the" box trays) is impelled in a path adjacent thedischarging station of a match-making machine and thereby progressivelysupplied with matches. A box filling machine of the character mentionedis illustrated in Letters Patent of the United States No. 836,7 30,dated November 27 1906, to which reference may be had.

The object of my invention is to accomplish the orderly and compactdisposition within the progressing temporary holders of a box fillingmachine of the matches discharged from the carrier of a match machine;and to this end the invention con1- prises, in a box filling machine, anendless succession of temporary holders having therein movable bottommembers which are gradually lowered during the progress of the holdersacross the path of the falling matches from the match machine.

The invention also comprises means whereby a series of short rapidvertical vibrations are imparted to the successive bottoms of thetemporary holders during their travel through and preferably somedistance beyond the filling zone.

The invention also comprises various novel features of construction-andcombinations of parts, all of which will be hereinafter described andclaimed.

In the annexed drawings- Figure 1 is a plan of a chain of temporarymatch-holders, and its associated parts, embodying my invention, a partof the match making machine being illustrated.

Fig. 2 is an elevation, partly in section, of a portion of the chain ofmatch holders and adjuncts; some of the spring actuated pins for themovable bottoms of the holders being broken off for clearness.

Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section through the chain and ad uncts,on a Plane Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec, 4, 191% Serial No. 123,432.

through one of the sprocket wheels, as on the line 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a vertical section, on a larger scale, through several of thetemporary holders, showing a portion of the jarring mechanism therefor.

Fig. 5 is a sectional perspective view of the guiding structure for thechain of temporary holders, showing a portion of the chain and adjuncts.

Fig. 6 is a transverse section on a plane through the match carrier andpunch mechanlsm of the match machine and the adjacent part of thetemporary holder mechanism, as on the line 66 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, 10 designates one of the perforated matchcarrier plates of a match machine; and 11 a reciprocating head carryingpunches 12 for ejecting the matches row by row from the perforations ofthe carrier.

13 designates a horizontal bed supported on a plane below the path ofdischarge of the matches from the carrier; 14, 15 vertical shaftsjournaled in bearings at or near the respective ends of the bed; 16, 17sprocket wheels on said shafts, and 18 an endless chain passing aboutthe wheels so as to travel in a path adjacent the match carrier in theregion of the discharge station. The chain is provided throughout itslength with receptacles constituting temporary holders which areadaptedto receive and assemble the matches as rapidly as they are dischargedfrom the match machine. In another part of the travel of the chain thematches are tran ferred from the temporary holders into the boX trays asdescribed in the Patent No. 836,730 above referred to. The bed isprovided with spaced lip-standing walls 19 which afford a run-way withinwhich the chain of holders is supported and guided; said Walls beingsuitably recessed or cutaway for the reception of the sprocket wheelsand also to afford ample space for the endwise removal of the matchesfrom the temporary holders.

The temporary holders, which form, in effect, links of the sprocketchain, comprise flat rectangular bottom plates 20 provided each with endwalls 21 and an intermediate division wall 22, the two chambers orcornpartments thus formed being open at the r respective ends. Each ofthe chambers is equal to or slightly greater in length than the matchesand is of a width and height to receive and hold an excess quantity ofmatches for a box tray. The adjoining end walls of the train or seriesof holders are in close proximity to each other, and their upper edges,including those of the central walls, are preferably beveled or tapered,as shown, to facilitate the entrance of the matches to the chambers.

The shaft 15 of the sprocket wheel 17 carries at its lower end a bevelgear wheel 23 in mesh with a similar wheel 24; on a horizontal shaft 25that is driven in any suitable manner.

' The parts thus far described are or may be of the construction andoperation illustrated and described in Patent No. 836,730 aforesaid.

Within each of the match chambers is a vertically-movable bottom member26 from which spaced pins 27 depend through guide orifices in the bottomplate 20 of the holder structure; the lower ends of the pins beingprovided with heads 28. Springs 29 en circling the respective pins andbearing against the bottom plate 20 and the heads 28 tend to maintainthe member 26 yieldingly down upon said plate. The upper surface of thebottom member is channeled to provide a shallow open end trough havingupwardly and outwardly inclined sides 30 for a purpose which willpresently apear.

p Aifixed to the member 26 is a plunger 31 which depends through acentral guide bushing 32 on the bottom plate. The length of the pin issuch that its lower or free end lies slightly above the bed 13 when themember 26 is in its lowermost position, such end being preferably shapedto provide an inclined contact portion 33.

Affixed to the bed, directly beneath and parallel with the stretch ofthe chain of temporary holders adjacent the match carrier, and in thepath of the depending plungers from said holders, is a bar 34 having onits upper edge a series of toothed or serrated surfaces 35 which arearranged in step-like order descending from a point adjacent the outeror right hand edge of the match carrier to a point adjacent the inner orleft-hand edge of said carrier. The length of each of the surfaces issubstantially equal to the distance between the centers of the twochambers or compartments of a temporary holder, excepting the lower mostsurface which is preferably extended some distance along the bed, asindicated at 36. The outer or right-hand end of the upper step mergeswith a smooth surface 37 which gradually declines toward the bed,whereby the plungers of the traveling holders successively impingeagainst the surface 37 and are thereby gradually raised in a manner toelevate the succeeding bottom members to their highest position; thencepassing from one step surface to another and permitting the lowering ofthe bottom members to their lowermost position within the temporaryholders.

hen the successive bottom members are at their highest level they arepositioned in proximity to the plane of discharge of the matches fromthe adjacent part of the match carrier, and hence the descent of thematches is slight, thus obviating liability of the dis arrangement ofthe falling matches. As each temporary holder progresses in front of thematch carrier the bottom member of the holder is lowered a distanceequal to the thickness of a match, or substantially so, thus providingfor the reception of a superposed row of matches; and so on the bottommember is progressively lowered and the matches are delivered to theholder until it has passed beyond the match carrier, whereupon theholder is in its lowermost position and contains a complement of matchesrequisite for delivery to a match tray.

As the spring pressed plungers pass along the step surfaces'of the barthe plunger-s and therewith the attached bottom members are verticallyvibrated by the action of the teeth or serrations, thereby jarring thematches and causing them to settle within the holders, and since thefilled holders travel some distance beyond the carrier with the plungersin engagement with the serrated extension of the bar the agitation ofthe said members is continued in a manner to insure the orderly andcompact arrangement of the matches within the holders preparatory totheir passage to the discharge station.

Preferably each of the toothed or serrated steps is slightly inclinedupwardly from the right to the left hand end thereof as shown, in orderto enable an extended drop of each pin and a substantial jar to thematches in the associated temporary holder as the pin passes from onestep to another. Thence the holder in its progress along the lower stepis slightly raised and subjected to a series of slight vibrations, whichin conjunction with the initial jar insure the cilioient settling of thematches within the box trays.

The quantity of matches delivered to each holder as it approaches andcrosses the right-hand edge of the match carrier of the match machine issomewhat less than the quantity supplied to the holder when the latteris progressing in front of the body of the carrier, and hence the bottommember is recessed or channeled as above described. in order that theparallelism of the matches imposed upon said member may be main taineduntil the holder has advanced sufficiently for the delivery of matchesthereto throughout its width.

The endless chain 18 travels upon a raised supporting track 38 thereforon the bed, which track constitutes the basal part of the inner wall ofthe runway.

The inner sides of the longitudinal walls of the run way adjacent thematch machine are preferably provided with rails 39, having tongues 40which register with longitudinal end grooves 41 in the succeeding bottomplates of the traveling temporary holders, and thus maintain the holdersin a fixed horizontal plane during the vertical movements of the members26. The rail on the outside wall is preferably continued about thecurved ends of the runway and it is provided throughout its length witha flange 42 which affords a supporting track for the adjacent ends ofthe holders during their travel. A rail section 39, provided with atrack flange 42 is secured to the inner side of the outer reduced wallof the run way so as to support the outer ends of the holders as theypass along, said outer wall; the flange 42 constituting, in effect, acontinuation of the track flange 12.

As a simple and efficient means to avoid liability of verticaldisplacement of the bottom members of the filled holders, as they passaround the sprocket wheel 16, I preferably provide the inner basal trackportion 38 of the outer curved wall of the runway with a curved sectionhaving an inwardly projecting semicircular rib 4L3 which registers withsuitably-disposed slots or recesses 44. in the lower portions of thepins of thesuccessive holders, asithe latter approach and pass aroundthe sprocket wheel.

I claim-- 1. In a box-filling machine having a succession of matchholders arranged to travel adjacent the discharge station of a matchmachine, the combination with said holders, of vertically-movable bottommembers therein, and means for successively raising said members as theyapproach the discharge station of the match machine and for grad uallylowering and vertically jarring said members in their continued traveladjacent said station.

2. In a box-filling machine having a succession of match holdersarranged to travel adjacent the discharge station of a match machine,the combination with said holders, of vertically-movable bottom membersthere in, and means for successively raising said members as theyapproach the discharge station of the match machine, then graduallylowering and vertically jarring said members in their continued traveladjacent said station, and thereafter vertically-jarring said members inan interval of their travel.

3. In a box-filling machine having a suctopics of this patent may beobtained for five cents each, by addressing the Qommissioner Washington,D. E.

cession of match holders arranged to travel adjacent the dischargestation of a match machine, the combination with said holders, ofvertically-movable bottom members therein, depending plungers on saidmembers, and an actuating element for said plungers adjacent thedischarge station, said element having an upwardly inclined surface uponwhich the plungers are successively ralsed as they approach said stationand having also a series of toothed or serrated step surfaces descendingfrom the summit of the inclined surface toward the opposite side of thedischarge station.

4:. In a box filling machine having a succession of match holdersarranged to travel adjacent the discharge station of a match machine,the combination with said holders, of vertically-movable bottom membersthere in, depending plungers on said members, spring means to maintainsaid members normally depressed, and a bar arranged longitudinally ofthe path of the plungers as they approach and travel adjacent the saiddischarge station, said bar having an upwardly inclined approach for theplungers to the discharge station and having also a series of toothed orserrated step surfaces descending from the summit of the approach towardthe opposite side of the discharge station.

5. In a box filling machine having a succession of match holdersarranged to travel adjacent the discharge station of a match machine,the combination with said holders of guide means therefor adjacent thedischarge station, vertically-movable bottom members in said holders,means for maintaining said members normally depressed. within theholders, and means for successively raising said members as theyapproach the discharge station of the match machine and for graduallylowering and vertically jarring said members in their continued traveladjacent said station.

6. In a box filling machine having a succession of match holdersarranged to travel adjacent the discharge station of a match machine,the combination with said holders, of verticallymovable bottom memberstherein having laterally tapering channels, and means for successivelyraising said members as they approach the discharge station of the matchmachine and for gradually lowering and vertically jarring said membersin their continued travel adjacent said discharge station.

Signed at New York in the county and State of New York this 2nd day ofOctober A. D. 1916.

JOSEPH G. DONNELLY.

of Patents,

